magoon



(No Model.)

M. I. MAGOON.

HORSE FEEDING DEVICE.

Patented Oct. 18, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARIUS I. MAGOON, OF MALONE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO EGBERT R.

MAGOON, OF SAME PLACE.

HORSE-FEEDING DEVICE.

SPEOIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,442, dated October18, 1892.

Application filed September 11, 1889- Serial No. 823,684. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be'it known that I, MARIUS I. MAGOON, a resident of Malone, in thecounty of Franklin and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Devices for Feeding Live Stock; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in machines for feeding livestock, the object being to provide a device, primarily, which willprevent the animal from eating too rapidly, thus not only failing tothoroughly masticate its food and failing to get therefrom the fullnourishment, but also preventing it from wasting it by reason ofdropping it out of its manger, as is very frequently the case,especially when animals become old and their teeth are bad.

Other objects are to facilitate the feeding and care of live stock andto avoid the necessity of going into their stall to fed them.

With these objects in view my invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and combinations of parts, as will behereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in front elevation.Fig. 2 is a sectional view, and Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation.

A represents a hopper, in which the grain for feeding is placed. This isconsiderably elevated, conveniently as high as the floor above, or theloft or other place where the granaries are located. A spout B extendsdown from the lower end of the hopper to or nearly to the manger orfeed-box 1, and the whole is preferably connected with a back board orsimilar device 0, adapted for attachment to the wall or side of a barnorother convenient place. The spout is'pivoted at P between the back board0 and the'strap I, so that it may vibrate laterally from this point asthe horse or other animal eating pushes it in either direction. Theupper end of the spout B is enlarged and finished on top with a cup D,which receives the grain from the hopperand drops its contents into thespout. This filling and emptying of the cup is regulated in thefollowing way: A plate G, projecting laterally from the lower edge ofblock F, projects loosely into an opening formed for it at the pointwhere the cup and spout meet, and this plate G is adapted to form atemporary bottom for the cup or a bottom for it when the spout is in avertical position or when its upper end strikes the end of block F,which constitutes a stop for the spout. The spout is withdrawn from thisplate G when swung in the opposite direction, and the contents of thecup then drop out of it. Another plate E is secured to the upper edge ofthe cup, and this is adapted to close the hopper when the spout is swunginto an oblique position and the bottom of the cup is opened. When swungback to the vertical position, this plate passes into an opening formedto receive it over the block F, thus opening the hopper, so the twoplates E and G are arranged to alternately open the hopper and the cup,one being always open and the other always closed, the result being thatthe grain is dropped into the manger or feed-box in cupfuls upon thehorse or other animal poking the spout sidewise. An adjustable stop L islocated on the back board at one side of the spout. This stop is set toregulate the throw of the spout, and therefore the amount of grain. Thespout is pushed by the animal in one direction and is calculated to dropback by gravity into its normal position.

A device K for stirring the grain in the hopper and keeping the lowerend of the latter open is located inside the hopper, it being held downnormally by a spring is. The lower end of this stirrer is beveled, sothat the top of the cup strikes it in swinging past and forces it up,the spring returning it again to the position shown. Teeth or pins 2 2on the stirrer operate to loosen the grain.

It is evident that slight changes might be resorted to in the form andarrangementof the several parts described without departing from thespirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limitmyself to the exact construction herein set forth; but,

one end and having one end exposed, so that it may be struck andvibrated,a cup on the spout, and an adjustable stop for regulating thethrow of the spout, and means for simultaneously opening the hopper andclosing the cup, and vice versa, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a hopper,a vibratory spout, and a cup thereon,of a plate on the cup for closing the hopper when the spout is swung inone dirction, a stationary plate for closing'the cup at the bottom whenswung in the opposite direction, and stops for regulating the swing ofthe spout, substantially as set forth.

MARIUS I. MAGOON. Witnesses:

A. A. MAGOON,

M. A. BIGELOW.

